In yesterday’s post I looked at the marketing lessons that we can learn from businesses taking advantage of the Pokemon Go craze, and I included a couple of examples.
What I didn’t realise at the time was that there are already a number of businesses around Nottingham doing just that! I’ve had a browse on Twitter to find some great examples of all different kinds of businesses using the game to bring people to their locations.
Some restaurants, like Cosmo, are offering Pokemon hunters free drinks if you head in to catch Pokemon.
Can you catch a Pokemon in our restaurant? There’s a drink in it for you if you can… #nottingham#PokemonGOpic.twitter.com/Uy09kRoaL1
— Cosmo Nottingham (@CosmoNottingham) July 19, 2016
Free stuff is looking like a bit of a theme, as Planet Bounce offered customers perks based on the level that they had achieved in the game – anything from a free drink to a free trampolining session!
@PokemonGoNottm Calling all #PokemonGO Trainers! pic.twitter.com/31YWmHh96e
— Planet Bounce (@planet_bounce) July 16, 2016
Continuing on the food and drink theme, the Nottingham Doughnut Co. has been offering novelty Pokeball-shaped doughnuts to hungry players (which is a good enough idea that we’ll forgive their spelling of ‘Pokeball’).
Running out of pokaballs? Don’t worry we got you covered #PokemonGO#Doughnuts#Doughnotts#Donutspic.twitter.com/qbwLPFGnhb
— TNDC (@Doughnotts) July 19, 2016
Meanwhile, one of the Victoria Centre’s shops, KRCS, is taking a different approach, offering discounts based on the Victoria Centre’s gym.
If @intuVictoriaCen Gym is held by your team … receive 10% off Battery Packs instore! #PokemonGo#Nottingham
— KRCS Nottingham (@KRCSappleNottm) July 15, 2016
Other Nottingham-based attractions, however, aren’t shops or restaurants that can offer discounts and free stuff in the same way, but they’re still drawing footfall by advertising the Pokemon that are around their locations to catch.
Did you know Nottingham Castle is a Pokestop?! Has anyone caught any rare Pokemon in the grounds? #PokemonGO pic.twitter.com/qHC3E3ZMwr
— Nottingham Castle (@NottmCastle) July 19, 2016
#PokemonGo fans in #Nottingham – we wanna know your top tips! We’ve spotted these guys by the Arena! #CatchEmAllpic.twitter.com/0jjtkNt7Xa
— Motorpoint Arena (@nottinghamarena) July 15, 2016
The thing that all of these buildings have in common is that they are using the Pokemon Go trend to their advantage, using the resources that they have to appeal to people and attract potential customers. With the community that is evolving around the game, getting people relating your business to it in any way seems to be a smart move. After all, one of the main goals of marketing is to get your name out there in a positive, meaningful way, and many smart businesses are using Pokemon Go to help them achieve that goal.
If you’re one of the many people playing the game in Nottingham, I recommend checking out the Twitter account @PokemonGoNottm – they’re retweeting all of the city’s Pokemon Go news and promotions, so you can easily catch up with what’s going on!
